For seven-year-old Will, swimming lessons used to be an overwhelming experience.
The noise and chaos of the classes made it hard for him to focus, and he was reluctant to attend.
It was only when his father found a unique class targeted at children who have autism and other neurodivergent conditions that the experience changed for him, and he now loves the lessons.
"It's just a different environment that allows him to actually concentrate on swimming," Stephen Blake said.
Will's younger brother, who is not neurodivergent, also attends so the siblings can be together, and they are both thriving.
"It's just a really good atmosphere for them to learn," Mr Blake said.
"There's less distractions here, so he's able to actually really enjoy swimming without having to worry about all the distractions.
"He gets one-on-one tuition as well."
Class filling a gap in care
Water Wombats is run by Carol Jennings, whose own children are neurodivergent.
"I saw firsthand their struggles in mainstream schools," Ms Jennings said.
"I sort of had an epiphany around that and going, 'my children are not the only children that struggle with being in such a busy, loud environment.'"
Ms Jennings was motivated to start the class because she felt more needed to be done to ensure all children had access to life-saving lessons.
She had noticed that children with autism and other disorders were also less likely to participate in activities with children that encouraged them to be comfortable in the water.
This challenge is partly responsible for the higher-than-average rate of drowning among children who are on the autism spectrum — 90 per cent of accidental deaths among children with autism are due to drowning.
"These children are three times more likely to drown than their neurotypical peers," Ms Jennings said.
"There's so much more that needs to happen around inclusion, to support the families to access [classes] in a meaningful way.
"I think there's a lot we can do as a community to change the way that we teach and how we include the children that have those more specific needs into the programs."
The hope is that by ensuring more children access swimming lessons, the more likely it is they will be confident to take them to other environments where water safety is an advantage.
"In Canberra, most new playgrounds have a pond just down the hill," she said.
"And so for families to be able to take their children to the playground and then not worry about that pond being a source of danger for their children, it's really impactful."
'I don't have much worry about him now'
Ms Jennings said she had noticed additional benefits in the children attending Water Wombats classes.
"Every week it fills my heart with pride and joy to see the progress and development of these children and to hear the stories from the families and parents, saying 'my child ate their fruits and vegetables this week because they wanted energy and muscles to come to swimming,'" she said.
Water Wombats was developed as a charity that operates as a not-for-profit, and Ms Jennings said they relied on grants, sponsorships and donations to keep it running.
Teachers involved in the program are allied health professionals who come from a variety of disciplines, including exercise physiology, psychology and occupational therapy.
The teachers are also qualified as swimming coaches.
"So that gives a really interesting and unique dynamic to the way we deliver the program," she said.
"When the children come to the program, we assess them and get to know their strengths and challenges, and then we match them to the most appropriate instructor."
For Mr Blake's son Will, the program has made all the difference.
"He's definitely a lot more confident in the water now, and they're both almost swimming unassisted," he said.
"I don't really have much worry about him being in the water now.
"I think if your kids have had challenges with other swimming schools, then definitely consider this one because it offers something different to everyone else."
